DB&ML : Chapter 3.3

He became very often aware of the date. When drawing, he was also absent-minded. He even began drawing cartoon characters in the corner of his sketchbook. He found that he rarely remembered the man that he knew at the pool. It was only in the middle of the night while he was lying in his bed, under the moonlight, when he would remember the kiss by chance.

It was still a hot kiss that could touch the depths of his heart.

Time quickly passed by, then the next day of going to the art studio came. Haiqing brought with him his painting materials and went out early in the morning on that day. Perhaps, it was because he was in a hurry so that he found, in the end, that he was short of a few things brought with him. Time still elapsed in the course of getting back and forth again and again. When he finally arrived at the art studio, the best position in the class was already taken.

When he entered the classroom, Haiqing was struck again by another fact. He found that the thing that was surrounded by the students in the middle was not Pinjun, but a plate of fruit. There would be no human models for today’s course.

Why didn’t he tell me that he wouldn’t come? Haiqing felt a sense of loss because he could not find Pinjun and could not afford to be immersed in the gentleness that could make him relaxed and happy, and then would make him sad once more.

The teacher noticed Haiqing, who was late, at the doorway, was not coming in. Thinking that he was uncomfortable, the teacher planned to straightforwardly ask him. Haiqing discovered the teacher’s intentions one step earlier so he hurriedly said “sorry” and walked to his spot to set up his painting equipment. In order not to disturb the other students who have already began painting, Haiqing deliberately controlled his movements by slowing down.

The music playing today was a classical chanson. The relaxing ethereal music brought about a beautiful and emotional feeling. Haiqing tried but he could not go back to the previous week’s joy.

“… Oh.”

From time to time, he would throw his own sight at the door, as if he was eager for a face to suddenly appear from the doorway. He held his pencil and started making a rough sketch to divert his attention and repeatedly inclined his pencil to draw. It did not matter if he would erase it once or twice to start over; however, when Haiqing erased the lines for the third time, he could not help but curse himself in his heart.

Su Haiqing! You’ve enrolled in a studio course with the money given by Grandpa. You’ve also embraced your father’s sarcastic comments and persisted on your determination to be admitted to the University of Fine Arts. Is it so easy to shake? However, he did not know how serious his promise was. Regardless of whether he would appear or not, he should not waste time on such an important course!

The fierce and stern words ferociously struck on Haiqing’s heart. He even had to close his eyes and did not go as far as making a sound.

Haiqing was originally a person who was strict with himself, especially in the examination at the University of Fine Arts and in studying painting — he was especially resolute about these two matters. Xiao K once said that he was like an ascetic monk walking on the road of painting. He did not allow himself to break his religious precept nor was there any possibility of indolence. Others looked not only panic-stricken, but also felt sorry for him.

After finishing the fight, Haiqing laid down his brush and naturally placed his hands on his thighs. Breathing slowly along with the classical chanson’s melodious liveliness slowly calmed him down. Filled with the jazz music’s foreign bearing, the people wanted to follow the pace. The body danced, and the melodious rhythm quietly and gently seeped into Haiqing’s heart.

Haiqing maintained such a position and closed his eyes. In the darkness, the light source moved like the color of the night sky; a smile slowly floated on the corner of the mouth. Pinjun then told him that it fitted perfectly with the chanson.

If one would smile first, then one would be happy all day.

Hai Qing slowly opened his eyes, and there were traces of erasures on the clean drawing paper. This was an irrefutable proof of his unhappiness. With a calm mood, he decisively drew the outline of the fruit again, and cleverly regarded them all as in his heart as a shape-specific moon — this was the full moon, the new moon, and the biggest one was the one eaten by the heavenly dog [1]!

([1] Tiangou – is a legendary creature from China. The tiangou resembles a black dog or meteor, which is thought to eat the sun or moon during an eclipse.)

The change of mood, together with the surrounding atmosphere, also followed the liveliness. Therefore, when a pair of hands quietly held Haiqing’s shoulders, he turned back, the smile was so bright so that everyone could hold their breath.

“Pin…”

Pinjun gently shook his head, motioning him to focus on the fruits, then he pointed to the floor, indicating that he would stay there waiting for him.

Haiqing was like someone who was caught for having a bad temper so that he felt embarrassed. After taking a deep breath, Pinjun said that he was preoccupied with the still object. The lines he drew with the pencil were a little light and quick. Haiqing could feel Pinjun’s line of sight on his own body, but the way Pinjun looked at him was not the stern look that would make people unable to sit or stand still. It was soft and gentle, with a hint of the temperature of the sun, but would not burn people.

The classical chanson that he heard was slowly fading away. Under Pinjun’s gaze, he made the still life realistic with his smiling face.